Covering third parties and independent candidates since 2008

Sheehan secures ballot access

Independent Congressional candidate Cindy Sheehan has secured her place on the ballot to challenge House Speaker Nancy Pelosi in California’s 8th House district. A message sent to supporters minutes ago details the scope of the effort:

There has been an overwhelming and unprecedented show of support among San Francisco voters for the Sheehan campaign’s progressive agenda. Over the past few months, hundreds of volunteers and supports rallied around getting their voices heard in November’s election. After collecting roughly 20,000 signatures, with at least 10,198 qualifying, the Sheehan campaign has proven its viability with flying colors.

The campaign’s success comes just three days after announcing a gap of 2,116 signatures yet to be overcome. According to a blog post published on Ballot Access News last May, Sheehan is the first independent House candidate to qualify for the California ballot since 1996. She has the endorsement of the local Peace and Freedom Party and Green Party.

But honestly I don’t know about the “flying colors” statement; seems to me they got on the ballot by the skim of their teeth. Regardless, can you send donations even if you don’t live in the same district or even state as a candidate?

So she’s a socialist without saying it outright, GE. Shocked that someone doesn’t agree with you?

You know, I read something interesting this summer, a book called “Founding Brothers.” In it, is talks about a correspondance between Jefferson and Adams in which they talk about the birth of the word “ideology”, which came about as they were speaking and partially because of Jefferson. Adams thought that an ideology, any ideology, was an excuse to be extremist at all times and request a utopia instead of learning about each individual issue and working for the best thing you could get. Jefferson, however, was a utopian, and did exactly what Adams feared.

For Single-Payer Healthcare and Affordable Housing
Issues that affect the working-class population of the 8th District and the nation are healthcare and affordable housing. I support H.R. 676, which takes the insurance companies out of the healthcare equation and creates a universal, single-payer healthcare system.

Affordable housing is being destroyed from New Orleans to San Francisco’s Bayview/Hunter’s Point neighborhood — and the resulting gentrification is pushing our neighbors of color out of the city, which threatens the dynamic diversity of San Francisco. The current price of fuel and food makes it difficult for working-class and poor residents to sustain a reasonable standard of living. They must not lose their homes to real estate speculators. Moreover, if one lower-income home is destroyed, it must be replaced with another comparable home.

I support the passage of any bill guaranteeing a one-for-one replacement, and I urge more help for people under a certain income level who are losing their homes and who were victims of predatory lenders. Unemployment benefits and food-stamp benefits should also be extended in this precarious economy.

For Free and Quality Education
Free and quality education is a basic human right from infants in day care to students in universities. Working parents should be entitled to safe and stimulating day care for their infants and, as in most industrialized countries, university education should be free for those who qualify for and want to avail themselves of it. Until we institute such a program, all university students should be given very liberal repayment terms for their student loans that come with very low interest rates.

For Job Creation
A federal job-creation program similar to the WPA must be put into place. The workers in these jobs must be paid the prevailing wage, and the jobs must be created in partnership with relevant unions.

Deregulation of airlines, telecommunications, media, energy, banking, insurance and other industries has created a dangerous and unhealthy environment for working people and for our entire society. The deregulation of these industries has allowed the corporate profiteers to destroy proper oversight and health and safety regulations.

For Regulating the Media
The deregulation of the media and telecommunications industry has not only cost hundreds of thousands of jobs, it has intensified the monopolization of the media. The media conglomerates (Fox, Murdock, Clear Channel and others) are able to manipulate the media and destroy local programming. This has prevented the public from getting independent news and information, particularly on the effects of deregulation, privatization and war.

I will oppose multiple ownership of newspaper, cable, broadcast, internet and all other media operations.

I will require that all license holders of commercial television and radio stations carry and promote local programming, with stiff penalties, including loss of licenses, if they violate these rules. I also will support revoking their licenses if they have a record of violating local, state and federal labor laws by illegally firing and discriminating against workers for union activities.

I also support federal funding for public labor-community broadcast and internet systems, including Wi-fi and other technologies, to allow the use of these new communication technologies for all working people, especially for low-income workers.

For Stopping Deregulation and Privatization
The present financial crisis has been fueled by the elimination of all financial regulatory measures, particularly by the repeal in 1999 of the Glass-Steagall Act (GSA), which in 1933, in the immediate aftermath of the Great Depression, had separated investment and commercial banking activities. The repeal of GSA — which was demanded by the corporate elite — was supported actively by Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi and other leaders of the Democratic Party.

The Federal Reserve System does not represent consumers, workers or the public. I support elected community-labor boards in which there will be accountability from those running our financial system.

The drive to privatize and contract out jobs is a threat to our workforce. It undermines standards — including the merit system — and has replaced them with nepotism and corruption. It has become a norm today for contractors to pay off Congresspeople to obtain contracts.

I oppose all privatization of federal jobs and will require that all funds disbursed by the federal government go only to government agencies, not to private contractors.

I support the U.S. Postal System and oppose all efforts to privatize it through contracting-out operations, including joint ventures with private corporations. I will support Congressional investigations, with managers and workers placed under oath, to examine the health and safety conditions in the USPS that have led to the “going postal” incidents across the country, including in San Francisco.

I support legislation making it illegal to force workers into jobs with independent contractors in which employers such as FedEx use the “independent contractor” status to prevent unionization and to transfer the costs of unemployment, social security and workers’ compensation to the individual worker.

I also will investigate and eliminate the massive cost-shifting by the insurance industry of workers’ compensation costs. Millions of injured workers are now forced to go on SSI and State Disability or to publicly funded hospitals, thereby shifting these costs to the state. I will initiate and organize Congressional hearings on these issues and put employers, insurance executives and workers under oath to expose and change these schemes. I also support criminal penalties for the conspiracies to shift such costs to the federal government.

For a National Energy System, For a Mass Transit System
The growing environmental and energy crisis cannot be solved under private ownership of the energy companies. We need a mass transportation system administered by public-labor-community boards throughout the United States.

This will be financed by the nationalization of the oil, gas, and other energy companies — all of which have thwarted mass transportation to keep profits flowing to their corporate stockholders.

The United States must build a system of bullet trains linking all parts of the country. The auto assembly plants could be converted into plants that build the trains and infrastructure needed for transforming qualitatively our energy and transportation systems and for rebuilding our country.

I support federal funding for local community-based solar and wind systems where feasible to provide an alternative to fossil fuels, and will oppose the use and subsidy of nuclear energy. When elected, I will submit legislation that will require that all federal funding of energy projects provide for prevailing wages and allow full unionization of workers.

Cindy Sheehan is not only worse than Nancy Pelosi, she’s worse than Dick Cheney. She is a bloodthirsty communist savage who wants to replace the War in Iraq with a War on Freedom in America.

Collectivized rearing of children from infancy through college, at taxpayer expense

A new WPA program!!!

Federal funding and control of the media (Pravda-style)

SHE SAYS THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CRISIS WAS CA– USED BY “DEREGULATION” AND NOT THE FEDERAL RESERVE

She wants to replace the Federal Reserve with an EVEN WORSE system

She wants an unconstitutional, national transit program

Worst of all: She supports the U.S. Postal Service. I’m not joking. How committed of a socialist do you have to be, how completely belligerent to freedom do you have to be to support the USPS? A lot of people can be fooled into thinking universal healthcare or other social programs are good ideas, but we can see the USPS in action.

Normally, I will look past a candidate’s faults if they are anti-war. But a vote for Sheehan is just as much a vote for all of the above as it is against this particular war. On balance, I think the status quo is better.

She’s for a Mass Transit system? What a hippy! LOL Love how in the U.S that ‘freedom’ is equated with being able to drive a big truck.

Well I want freedom from having to be hit by cars while on a bicycle. I want the freedom to be able to get where I want without taking an automobile. Quit hijacking the word freedom for your own disturbed concept of what America should be.

I’m saying that just because she disagrees with your points of view doesn’t mean that she’s evil, GE.

Not the USPS! GE, sometimes you need to get a grip and look at the reality of things. What’s worse – millions of people at risk of death due to a flawed healthcare system or you not having the “freedom” to choose your insurance? What about the freedom to not have to worry about healthcare?

Deran is completely wrong. The crisis has been caused by government intervention into the free market. This is an objective fact, and anyone who refuses to believe it is either (a) an idiot, (b) has a religious attachment to socialism, or (c) both. Just think of the arrogance of Deran to think that he and his government know better than individuals — they know that homeownership is “good” and thus it should be subsidized. Sure, there won’t be any negative effects from this… The ignorance is staggering.

Laine – The government has no business owning roads. I don’t have a “right” to drive a big truck, particularly one that pollutes your property. But nor does the government have the “right” to steal land from people and build “mass transit” systems with more stolen money. What if I don’t want to pay? What if I don’t want to conform? Sheehan will take up the role of GWB and make me.

Ross – That platform is evil. There are no other words for it.

You people are insane. You want MORE government for George W. Bush and the Clintons, etc. to control?

You people are living in a fantasy.

I will vote for any anti-imperialist candidate over an imperialist one. Sheehan’s socialism is so complete, so vile and repugnant, that I would not want my vote counted in her favor.

Sheehan seems kinda like Brian Moore and all the other socialists — quite correct on Iraq/Iran, horribly wrong on damn near everything else.

I certainly wouldn’t vote for Moore simply because of his antiwar stance, nor should anyone cast a similar vote for Sheehan. As bad as Pelosi is, Sheehan is worse.

“Well I want freedom from having to be hit by cars while on a bicycle. I want the freedom to be able to get where I want without taking an automobile. Quit hijacking the word freedom for your own disturbed concept of what America should be.“

The irony here. You want the freedom to steal money from your fellow Americans to secure your ability to use mass transit — i.e., you want the “freedom” to be a parasite. On the other hand, I merely want the freedom to be left alone, to not have my income robbed to subsidize your method of transportation. Yet, I’m the one who is apparently distorting the word “freedom”.

Your concept of freedom is disastrous, unworkable, and self-contradictory. If I want the “freedom” to own a computer, have I right to demand taxpayer dollars to pay for it? If I want “freedom of speech” does that entitle me to a subsidized printing press?

Indeed, following your definition of freedom to its conclusion, everyone has the right to everything, meaning in truth that no one has the right to anything. The human race dies out. Not exactly my idea of a free society.

In truth, the “freedom to use mass transit” means only you have the freedom to pay to use privately funded mass transportation, if it exists. And, should there be an actual consumer demand for it, you can be assured it would exist.

“What about the freedom to not have to worry about healthcare?”

Ugh. Now we’re extending “freedom” to mean freedom from worry? Ridiculous. On what basis do you say that worrying about healthcare violates freedom? What limits this to healthcare? I worry about lots of things. I worry about my grades, my social skills, and the cost of gasoline. Does that mean I have the right to state-funded tutoring? To state-funded classes to improve my social skills? To subsidized gasoline? Hell no.

Indeed, worry is a fundamental human emotion, and is one of the prime motivations we take to improve our situation. I don’t want to worry about my employment, which is why I’m in college. I don’t want to worry about my dental health, which is why I brush my teeth. And so on.

There is no right to be free from worry in general. There is no right to be free from worrying about healthcare. Hell, if healthcare is socialized that would be a cause for worry.

The left likes to make up all sorts of “rights” and “freedoms”, but as long as these “rights” rely on stealing money, coercion, and government violence, they are quite hypocritical. There will never be a utopia where all people have a “freedom from want”, but much damage could, as has, been done following the largely emotional impulse in seeking it.

I’d gladly have my income “stolen” in order to create a system that I actually believe in. I agree to some extent that people should be able to opt out of the tax system if they so choose as long as they don’t use any public service at all. No Police, Firemen, or roads maintained by tax payer dollars. Are you a parasite by driving on roads maintained by tax payer dollars? I would say no but according to your logic you would be.

Laine – Then fine. GIVE your income to the cause and let ME keep mine.

I drive on socialist roads because the government has appropriated and monopolized the road industry, leaving me with no alternative. Imagine your beloved Empire nationalized the air: Would I have to hold my breath in order to avoid hypocrisy?

Oh no. I can’t use the police? Heaven forbid. I’ve never used the police… I’ve only been harassed by them. Just last night I was pulled over by some ignorant thug for the Sheehan/Bush State. And I’m a boisterous white male, too… And even I don’t get any “service” from these dastardly thugs — but then again, at least I’m not getting shot by them like others.

The firemen? These “heroes”? You mean the socialist parasites who are too cowardly to join the regime’s killing machine? I would much prefer to pay for private fire-prevention service, which has always been more efficient.

“Iâ€™d gladly have my income â€œstolenâ€ in order to create a system that I actually believe in.”

If the taxation is voluntary, then it’s not theft.

“I agree to some extent that people should be able to opt out of the tax system if they so choose as long as they donâ€™t use any public service at all. No Police, Firemen, or roads maintained by tax payer dollars.”

The problem is that the State has a monopoly on many services. It’s hard to avoid using the USPS when they have a monopoly on letter mail. While private security and personal firearms can largely replace the police, the State has a monopoly on fire service, which would be hard to go without. Roads, of course, are the wost of all. While private roads are not illegal, the state-subsidized roads would not only eliminate all profit, they already take up much of the available land.

Believe me, were it possible to avoid using government services, I would.

“Are you a parasite by driving on roads maintained by tax payer dollars? I would say no but according to your logic you would be.”

In a sense, I am. However, this unfortunate condition is brought about by government coercion, not my own choice; an unwilling parasite. I suppose an appropriate analogy might be the difference between one who joins the army and one who is drafted into it. The former bears more guilt for the evils done by the army than the latter.

I understand the libertarian struggle and you should be free to have your own privatized system but I for one would like a democratic socialist system and they would never work together. How sad that it can’t work both ways.

G.E it’s laughable that you believe a privatized fire protection works better. History has proven that otherwise has it not?

Strictly speaking, socialism can exist within a libertarian framework. One must simply purchase land, set up a socialist rule system, and invite all who want to participate to live there. There is nothing wrong with voluntary socialism. Personally, I highly doubt it could work (see Mises, Hayek, et al.), but there would be nothing wrong with trying.

Of course, the socialists themselves never see that as an acceptable solution, unfortunately.

LRBT – No, history has shown no such thing. Besides: My house has never caught on fire. No one I know has ever had their house catch on fire. And yet I’ve known dozens of fire men. Why do we even really need them?

I must be reading that wrong. Are you suggesting that homes or other buildings don’t catch on fire? Personally, I live in a town with a largely volunteer fire fighting force, but I am very glad that our Chief is full time staff paid for with my tax dollars.

Just because you have not had a fire doesn’t mean they don’t happen. Perhaps you mean that fires don’t happen without human intervention.

Ever heard of lightning?

Even wiring deteriorates with time, even when properly installed, and occasionally that causes fires.

And, while I’ll send my donations to a Green with a shot at winning or growing the Green Party, I am pleased to see that Sheehan will be on the ballot, and frankly, I hope the voters of SF toss her out on her butt.

Do we also need government house insurance, as well as government car insurance? If we had those the private, more efficient, and voluntary businesses would disappear, just like we have now with police, firefighters, military and roads.